Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-11-11
TIfE CHICAGO ANARCHISTS

ONE OF THEN COMMITS SUICIDE. TWO HAVE
THEIR SENTENCES COMMITTED TO MPRIs-
oNNENr FOR LIFE, AND THE REMAINING
FOUR HANG TODAY.
The closing scenes in the terrible tragedy
begun at Chicago in May, 1886 when seven
policemen were killed and about 80 wound
ed 10y the bomb and pistols Of n murderous
band Of anarchists, will be enacted in that
city today. Louis Lngg, the leader of the
murderous gang, who made the bombs and
taught his associates their use, committed
suicide in his cell yesterday by exploding
Illuminating cap in his mouth Gov Oges-
by, yielding TO the pressure brought TO bear
upon him, has committed the sentence of
Michael Schwab and Samuel Fielden to i'm
prisonment for life, and the other four
will be executed in the prison yard at Chi
cago today.
The entire week has been one of great
excitement and uneasiness in Chicago, and
the whole country has shared largely in
this feeling. As soon as the decision of the
United States suprems court against the
| prisoners was announced their friends be
gan to use every conceivable effort TO in
duce Gov. Oglesby to either pardon them or
commute their sentences. A good deal of
mawkish sentimentality was aroused in
their behalf in Chicago; some of the city
papers showed signs of weakening in their
demand that the law take its course, and
miles of petitions, containing, it is said no
less than 10000 names, were sent to the
/ L.. 4
utive prerogative. Three of the condemn
ed men-Spies, Fieden and Schwab-hum-
bly, asked for Communication, while the re
naming four assumed bravado bearing
and insolently announced that they would
not accept commutation-that they demand
ed either full pardon and their liberty, or
to be hung. People poured into Spring
field the Illinois state capital from all di-
rections to intercede with the governor on
one side or the other and the executive Of
flee was literally flooded with dispatches
and letters. No other governor was ever
SO besieged as the Illinois governor has
been in this case
Last Saturday night Lingg, one of the
most violent and vicious Of the condemned
men, attempted suicide by taking laudanum
but recovered from its effects This led to
a search Of his cell on Sunday, and four
dynamite cartridges were found concealed
there. From that time on he was closely
watched but by some means he became
possessed OF the Illuminating cap which he
placed in his mouth, lighted it with a can
die, and the explosion blew away part Of
his head and caused his death a few hours
afterward, as above stated.
The four who at first declared that they
would not accept executive clemency, show
ed themselves towards as the time drew on.
and sent letters to the governor admitting
i'll guarded terms that they had probably
carried their veal" for the liberty of the
working classes too far Finally, as last
card, Spies announced that he wished to be-
allowed TO die as a ransom for the others
Gov. Oglesby evidently tried to keep a
level head through it all, and great doubt
was felt as 10 what he would decide to do
The event shows that he yielded TO over
pressure SO far as TO commute the sentence,
Of two who, though perhaps weaker in
mind than the others, were probably a,
guilty as the rest